The present invention relates to a paper handkerchiefs pack with a stack of folded paper handkerchiefs enclosed on all sides by a foil envelope, this foil envelope having a line of weakness running only over the broadside surface of the foil envelope following the extent of the surface of the folded paper handkerchiefs.
The envelope of paper handkerchiefs packs is to provide good protection not only in the closed condition of the packs, but also over a long period of time after the foil envelope has been broken open and the paper handkerchiefs are removed from the casing as needed. Since the paper handkerchiefs packs are generally carried during this time in pockets of outer clothing or in purses, they are subject to various mechanical stresses that can cause the handkerchiefs to be crumpled or fall out of the foil envelope, and there is furthermore a risk that the handkerchiefs will become soiled as soon as the foil envelope has been opened by breaking a dispenser opening.
It is also important that the handkerchiefs be able to be dispensed in a simple way because it is often necessary that a handkerchief be quickly available for use.
Paper handkerchiefs packs are known in which the desire for easy dispensing of the handkerchiefs is met by providing a large dispenser opening, for example, a line of weakness with which the foil envelope in the area of its short, narrow side can be separated or opened by creating a flap. However, such a dispenser opening design has the disadvantage that in the course of usage of such packs the individual handkerchiefs can easily fall out of the foil envelope and are subject to relatively high risk of soiling. There is also known another paper handkerchiefs pack which has a line of weakness running in the middle area of the broadside surface of the foil envelope to form a dispenser opening, but the desire for easy dispensing of the handkerchiefs from the foil envelope is met only unsatisfactorily by this known pack because the fold of the handkerchiefs considered for this known pack often makes it difficult to take out them through the dispenser opening. For example, one fold was considered in which a narrow edge strip lying on the handkerchiefs at a longitudinal edge of the folded handkerchiefs is to be grasped through the dispenser opening to remove the handkerchief from the foil pack through this opening. However, it is often difficult to grasp the edge strips because they lie relatively tightly on the handkerchiefs and are held over a certain length in the foil envelope outside the area of the dispenser opening.
Prior art in the field of dispensers and folded tissues is exemplified by:
Watkins U.S. Pat. No. 3,272,385 PA1 Doyle U.S. Pat. No. 3,173,537 PA1 German Patent Application No. 2 512 140 PA1 German Patent Application No. 1 953 831
Watkins teaches a tissue dispenser box having a central hole, and a valve flap which can be moved downwardly into the box as the box is emptied of tissues. Doyle teaches a dispenser for photo-sensitive paper, including a cardboard box having an inner light-proof envelope. DE-OS No. 1 953 831 teaches a hermetically sealed plastic package with a cardboard insert in the top of the package for dispensing tissues therethrough. DE-OS No. 2 512 140 teaches Z-folding of tissues, which are then laid double and fourfolded.
The present invention avoids the necessity for multimaterial packages such as Doyle's, as well as the problems associated with large carboard dispenser boxes as taught by Watkins.